


Breathing Lessons

by allyndra



Category: High School Musical
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2009-12-14
Updated: 2009-12-14
Packaged: 2017-10-04 10:25:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/allyndra/pseuds/allyndra
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ryan teaches Chad how to breathe. (prompted by ilovedoyle)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Breathing Lessons

"No, no. You have to breathe," Ryan said.

Chad rolled his eyes. "I'm pretty sure I'm breathing. I don't even know how to not breathe and stay conscious."

"Fine, you're breathing," Ryan conceded. "You're breathing _wrong_."

Chad stared at him. "I've been doing it my whole life. Air goes in, air comes out. How is that wrong?"

Ryan held up a hand to shush him. "Okay, I'll show you. Watch me." He started singing "Now or Never." His chest inflated every time he took a breath. It made his shirt pull tight across his chest and shoulder. Chad didn't stop himself from staring, because, hey, he was _supposed_ to be watching.

"That's how you've been doing it," Ryan said. Chad nodded, even though he was pretty sure his own performance had involved more pauses for forgotten lyrics and fewer instances of jazz hands.

"_This_ is how you're supposed to be doing it." And Ryan started to sing again. This time, his chest didn't heave, and Chad fought down a twinge of disappointment. When Ryan got to the end of the verse, he looked at Chad expectantly. ""See?"

Chad's brow furrowed. "I saw. I just don't know if I can do that." He didn't think passing out from lack of oxygen halfway through the song was the right way to impress the audience.

"Let's try." Ryan stepped right into Chad's space and pressed his hand against Chad's belly. "Make my hand move."

Chad blinked at him. He didn't want Ryan's hand to move, ever. It felt hot, even through Chad's t-shirt, and the thought of it resting there made warm shivers run up his spine.

"Come on," Ryan urged. "Breathe deep down into your stomach. I want to feel it."

Chad licked his lips and took a long, slow breath, concentrating on bringing the air down toward Ryan's hand. He looked down and saw his belly curve out a bit.

"Good!" Ryan grinned, delighted, and petted Chad like a puppy who had learned a new trick. Chad wished he could feel indignant about that, but all he really wanted was to get more of that response. "Okay, now try it faster," Ryan said. "Pretend the air is really heavy, and it's dropping down into your stomach."

Chad closed his eyes, because if he had to look at Ryan's smile so close while Ryan was _touching his belly_, Chad could not be held responsible for his actions. He opened his mouth and breathed, imagining his stomach filling up with heavy air.

"Good," Ryan repeated. His hand was still splayed across Chad's belly, a distracting, delicious weight. "When you inhale, keep it fast. But when you exhale, make it slow. That air is what you're going to be singing with, and you want it to last."

Fast in, slow out. Chad concentrated, trying to ignore the fact that Ryan was so close he could practically taste him on the air. After a few minutes, Ryan murmured, "Yeah. I think you have it."

Chad opened his eyes to find Ryan watching him. Well, he'd known that Ryan was watching him, but he hadn't expected that watching to be focused on his mouth, and he hadn't thought Ryan's eyes could go that dark and intent just over a breathing exercise. He licked his lips deliberately - just a flash of tongue between his lips - and watched the way Ryan's stare caught on the motion.

For the first time since this lesson had started, Chad felt like he knew what he was doing.

He didn't have to move very far, since Ryan was standing so close. He just leaned forward, smooth and easy, and kissed Ryan. Ryan's mouth was soft and warm, and it yielded against Chad's like Ryan had been expecting this. Like he'd been wanting it, too. The thought made Chad press closer, so that Ryan's hand was trapped awkwardly between them.

When they pulled apart, Ryan's lips were parted and wet, and air was rushing over them in shallow, little pants. "That's not how a singer breathes," Chad teased.

Ryan just rolled his eyes and brought their mouths back together.


End file.
